• ‘I probably don’t show them respect – they’re just good at tennis’• Daniil Medvedev says he always wanted Roger Federer to lose

Nick Kyrgios says he is happy to keep his feud with Novak Djokovic ticking over at Wimbledon next month – while Daniil Medvedev, another of the sport’s young rebels, uttered the ultimate heresy on Monday when he revealed he always wanted Roger Federer to lose.

For the first time since 2013, when the Latvian loose cannon Ernests Gulbis accused Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray of being “boring”, there is insurrection in the air and boredom seems the underlying cause of the latest unrest.

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 18:28:17 GMT

One year ago, Nick Kyrgios played Andy Murray at the Fever-Tree Championships. This year, the Aussie is cheering for his friend, as the former World No. 1 is making his return from hip surgery on the doubles court alongside Feliciano Lopez.

“It’s great to see him back. I think results don’t matter. Just to see him back healthy and seeing him happy on court is all that matters,” Kyrgios said. “He’s actually the first person I saw yesterday on the court doing doubles drills, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

Murray last competed at the Australian Open before undergoing right hip resurfacing surgery on 28 January. The Scot did not know if he’d ever be able to return, but he is back on The Queen’s Club grass, where he has captured five singles titles.

“[It’s] unbelievable. He’s a warrior. I hit with him a couple times in London, obviously when I took a spell from the French,” said Kyrgios, who was forced to withdraw from Roland Garros due to a stomach bug. “He’s still hitting the ball unbelievable. I think he’s good enough to do damage in any doubles [match made up] of any players, especially this week with Feliciano. I’d almost pay to watch that match. They’re going to be tough to beat. He’s a legend.”

Kyrgios, currently No. 39 in the ATP Rankings, is trying to get back on track himself having lost four of his past five matches. At last week’s MercedesCup, the Aussie fell in the first round to eventual champion Matteo Berrettini.

“It’s been good [preparation]. Obviously didn’t get too many matches last week in Stuttgart, but I lost to the eventual winner,” Kyrgios said. “Played a bit of dubs last week and got here and had a hit. Have been feeling good. This is probably my favourite time of the year. Obviously the Aussie summer is pretty good, but just being in London when the weather is like this is pretty hard to beat. Just playing on grass every day, it’s a lot of fun.”

Kyrgios made the semi-finals at The Queen’s Club last year, and he has long enjoyed success on grass, beating Rafael Nadal en route to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014 when he was just 19.

“I definitely feel like I can do damage. I have had a lot of good wins on grass,” Kyrgios said. “Obviously made a quarter-final run [at Wimbledon] when I was a little bit younger, but I think if the stars align, for sure I can do damage there.”

The 24-year-old is staying in the present though, only worrying about the challenges in front of him at The Queen’s Club. In the first round, he faces Adrian Mannarino, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour trophy on Sunday at the Libema Open.

“I’ve got a tough match tomorrow against a guy who won a title yesterday,” Kyrgios said. “I want to have a good week here, find my feet.”

One year ago, Nick Kyrgios played Andy Murray at the Fever-Tree Championships. This year, the Aussie is cheering for his friend, as the former World No. 1 is making his return from hip surgery on the doubles court alongside Feliciano Lopez.

“It’s great to see him back. I think results don’t matter. Just to see him back healthy and seeing him happy on court is all that matters,” Kyrgios said. “He’s actually the first person I saw yesterday on the court doing doubles drills, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

Murray last competed at the Australian Open before undergoing right hip resurfacing surgery on 28 January. The Scot did not know if he’d ever be able to return, but he is back on The Queen’s Club grass, where he has captured five singles titles.

“[It’s] unbelievable. He’s a warrior. I hit with him a couple times in London, obviously when I took a spell from the French,” said Kyrgios, who was forced to withdraw from Roland Garros due to a stomach bug. “He’s still hitting the ball unbelievable. I think he’s good enough to do damage in any doubles [match made up] of any players, especially this week with Feliciano. I’d almost pay to watch that match. They’re going to be tough to beat. He’s a legend.”

Kyrgios, currently No. 39 in the ATP Rankings, is trying to get back on track himself having lost four of his past five matches. At last week’s MercedesCup, the Aussie fell in the first round to eventual champion Matteo Berrettini.

“It’s been good [preparation]. Obviously didn’t get too many matches last week in Stuttgart, but I lost to the eventual winner,” Kyrgios said. “Played a bit of dubs last week and got here and had a hit. Have been feeling good. This is probably my favourite time of the year. Obviously the Aussie summer is pretty good, but just being in London when the weather is like this is pretty hard to beat. Just playing on grass every day, it’s a lot of fun.”

Kyrgios made the semi-finals at The Queen’s Club last year, and he has long enjoyed success on grass, beating Rafael Nadal en route to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014 when he was just 19.

“I definitely feel like I can do damage. I have had a lot of good wins on grass,” Kyrgios said. “Obviously made a quarter-final run [at Wimbledon] when I was a little bit younger, but I think if the stars align, for sure I can do damage there.”

The 24-year-old is staying in the present though, only worrying about the challenges in front of him at The Queen’s Club. In the first round, he faces Adrian Mannarino, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour trophy on Sunday at the Libema Open.

“I’ve got a tough match tomorrow against a guy who won a title yesterday,” Kyrgios said. “I want to have a good week here, find my feet.”

• Scot faces Colombians Cabal and Farah• Murray plans to play at Eastbourne

Rarely can a doubles draw have attracted so much interest as the one at the Queen’s Club in London on Saturday and, when the balls of fate dropped, Andy Murray and Feliciano López were matched against the best team in the world, Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah. They more than likely will play on Wednesday.

The Colombian hotshots won in Barcelona and Rome, reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and are leading the race to London for the ATP World Tour Finals. It will not be a quiet hit in the park for Murray who is returning to the game after four months out, recovering from his second hip surgery.

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 14:21:26 GMT

• Kyrgios pulls out before first-round clash, citing illness• Norrie will now play French qualifier Elliot Benchetrit

Nick Kyrgios, who pulled out of the French Open on Friday through illness, three days before his match against Cam Norrie and a few days after saying the tournament “absolutely sucks”, has not improved his popularity in certain parts of the game through deed or word lately.

Norrie, however, is not about to join the lynch mob perennially on the prowl for the Australian’s hide.

Maverick Australian’s underarm serving has caused a stir in Miami but 100 years ago Suzanne Lenglen was attracting similar gasps for serving overarm

When Nick Kyrgios crashed out of the Miami Open in the fourth round overnight, strapping holding his right knee together but his emotions less secure, he left his familiar impression, the magician/villain du jour of tennis. There surely will not be a better tweener this year than the one he put on Borna Coric before losing in three sets. But that is Kyrgios: unfathomable in every way.

The mercurial Australian might not be aware of it, but Suzanne Lenglen, a rebel in silk skirts and garters (but no corset), shares a bond with him that stretches across a hundred years of their sport – although she did not strop as often, by all accounts.